Today At A Glance:

U.S. stocks finished higher for a second straight session, clawing back earlier-week weakness as big-cap tech re-asserted leadership. AI-linked names were again the primary engine, pushing the Nasdaq to the day’s biggest gain while the S&P 500 also posted a strong advance. Beneath the surface, the session still showed “risk-on/risk-off” tension: standout winners in tech and select cyclicals offset sharp single-name drawdowns tied to guidance, offerings, or biotech readouts. Traders also had to navigate positioning effects around “triple witching,” which can amplify volume and intraday swings. By the close, the major averages ended firmly positive, with the S&P 500 at 6,834.50, the Nasdaq at 23,307.62, and the Dow at 48,134.89.

Today’s Index Performance:

• Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI): opened at 47,974.82 and closed at 48,134.89, with a +0.4% change for the day.
• Nasdaq Composite: opened at 23,121.90 and closed at 23,307.62, with a +1.3% change for the day.
• S&P 500 (^GSPC): opened at 6,792.62 and closed at 6,834.50, with a +0.9% change for the day.

Gainers Of Note:

• Aimei Health Technology Co. (AFJK) — Healthcare/health-tech operating company (listed on U.S. markets) that surged as speculative momentum returned to the name, with prior headlines around its SPAC-related storyline helping fuel outsized volatility.
• Athira Pharma (ATHA) — Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company; shares jumped after the company announced an exclusive agreement tied to a Phase 3 breast-cancer asset alongside financing to support development.
• Sable Offshore (SOC) — Energy producer/operator; shares rallied as federal action around pipeline classification was viewed as reducing regulatory friction and improving the path for operations/transport logistics in California.

Losers Of Note:

• Lamb Weston Holdings (LW) — Lamb Weston finished as one of the day’s worst performers after the company issued disappointing guidance and flagged margin pressure tied to higher input costs and softer demand trends in foodservice and retail. Investors reacted negatively to the outlook, pushing shares sharply lower on heavy volume as expectations for near-term earnings growth were reset.
• Vision Marine Technologies (VMAR) — Electric marine propulsion and related marine platform company; shares fell hard after announcing/pricing a public offering, a catalyst that often pressures small-cap pricing near-term.
• Pyxis Oncology (PYXS) — Oncology-focused biotech; declined after investors reacted negatively to early-stage cancer-drug data and follow-on analyst scrutiny of the readout.

Active Traders Of Note:

• Canopy Growth (CGC) — Cannabis company; heavy volume tracked alongside ongoing sector-wide volatility tied to shifting U.S. policy/regulatory expectations and headline-driven trading in the group.
• BigBear.ai (BBAI) — AI decision-intelligence provider; traded with elevated volume as investors continued rotating into AI-adjacent themes during the broader tech rebound.
• HP Inc. (HPQ) — PC and printing hardware/services company; saw robust turnover as the stock moved lower, reflecting active two-way trading in a pressured large-cap tech name.

Looking Forward:

Friday’s close reinforced that, for now, the market’s “risk appetite” is still being set by mega-cap tech and AI-linked leadership—when those names stabilize, the indexes can recover quickly. At the same time, the day’s extreme dispersion (massive single-name up and down moves) is a reminder that catalyst-driven stocks—especially small caps—can behave more like event contracts than long-duration investments. For the next trading day, investors will likely watch whether the AI-led bid persists and whether fresh macro or Fed expectations reintroduce rate volatility that could rotate leadership away from high-duration growth.

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